Prevention of gastrointestinal cancer by surveillance endoscopy.

Abstract

The classification of the endoscopic appearance of superficial neoplastic lesions of the digestive mucosa aims to evaluate the risk of progression to advanced neoplasia in 3° (low, intermediate, high) and to predict appropriate treatment and corresponding surveillance. The privileged position of endoscopy results from its double impact on prevention of digestive cancer through reduction in incidence after early detection and eradication of precursors; and through reduction of mortality after detection and treatment of cancer at an early and curable stage. However the efficacy of diagnostic endoscopy still requires improvement and quality control on the following points: (1) technology, with a generalized use of the recently introduced high-resolution endoscopes. (2) diagnosis of poorly visible nonpolypoid precursors: this applies to small depressed lesions and large slightly elevated or sessile serrated and non-serrated precursors, particularly in the proximal colon. (3) treatment and training in therapeutic endoscopy, including the most recent techniques of mucosal resection of nonpolypoid lesions.